Monday, July 16, 2007

Hi everyone! I am a political junkie so I was thrilled to read the latest press release from CNN Pressroom regarding the CNN debate schedule including additional information about the unprecedented CNN/YouTube.com debates. (Please click here for the release in its entirety.) Photos courtesy of Saint Anselm's College.

CNN Worldwide demonstrates its unparalleled commitment to politics and its continued innovative leadership in election coverage with an impressive calendar of political debates and forums for the 2008 presidential election cycle.

Next week, for the first time in presidential debate history, a forum will feature video questions posed directly to presidential candidates from average citizens. In a groundbreaking endeavor, CNN, the most trusted news source, and YouTube, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, team up to bring two unprecedented presidential debates to the American public.

Anderson Cooper will moderate the live CNN/YouTube Democratic forum, which features video questions submitted through YouTube and then broadcast and answered by the candidates on CNN. The Democratic debate, the first Democratic National Committee-sanctioned presidential forum of the 2008 election cycle, will be held at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., on Monday, July 23, and will air live from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (ET). The Republican debate will be held in Florida on Monday, Sept. 17, and will air live from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (ET). Questions can be submitted through Sunday, July 22, at www.youtube.com/debates. CNN will produce the televised events and will select the questions used in the debates.

CNN will air a special countdown to the debate, “CNN/YouTube Debate Preview” at 8 p.m. (ET) from Monday, July 16, through Friday, July 20. The special will preview a variety of video submissions created by Americans from all walks of life who pose questions that range from serious to lighthearted. American Morning anchors John Roberts and Kiran Chetry host the special on Monday, July 16, and again on Friday, July 20. CNN’s Paula Zahn will anchor the special from Tuesday, July 17, through Thursday, July 19.

The CNN/YouTube forums come on the heels of CNN’s successful, back-to-back New Hampshire debates moderated by anchor Wolf Blitzer which posted the highest ratings of the debate season. In CNN’s continuing effort to provide more in-depth coverage of the issues and not just the horserace, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien hosted a live, hour-long discussion on faith and politics with the front-runners in the Democratic Party.

Below is a full list of CNN’s currently planned debates, which include the final debates of the primary season in California immediately before Super Tuesday. In hosting these final debates in conjunction with The Los Angeles Times and The Politico, CNN is again playing a pivotal role in providing citizens with crucial information as they head into the voting booths.

MONDAY, JULY 23, 2007 – The first sanctioned Democratic presidential debate is sponsored by CNN and YouTube; CNN and YouTube host this unprecedented forum at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.

MONDAY, SEPT. 17, 2007 – Republican presidential debate co-hosted by CNN and YouTube; CNN and YouTube team up in Florida for the second of two voter-generated debates.

THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2007 – Democratic presidential debate sponsored by CNN and the Nevada Democratic Party at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

MONDAY, DEC. 17, 2007 – John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum Debate co-hosted by CNN and The Politico. This Democratic presidential debate, one of two CNN forums to take place at a presidential library, will be held at the Kennedy Library in Boston.

JANUARY 2008 – Democratic presidential debate co-hosted by CNN and the Congressional Black Caucus; Democratic presidential candidates will meet again in South Carolina.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 2008 – In the final Republican primary debate of the season, CNN, The Los Angeles Times and The Politico team up to bring the candidates to the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, Calif.

THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 2008 – In the final Democratic primary debate of the season, CNN and The Los Angeles Times co-host the final forum leading into Super Tuesday at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

In addition to the live airing on CNN, the debates will appear on CNN’s multiple platforms. In addition, CNN.com’s Election Center, available at www.CNN.com/ELECTION, will provide extensive coverage and analysis of the debates, including behind-the-scenes reports, podcasts and on-demand video, including the entire debates in streaming and downloadable formats. The broadcast of the debates also will be made available to all CNN Radio affiliates worldwide, with special coverage available on Headline News and to CNN Newsource affiliates.